The Last Philosopher

Frel in not Agalaland

When Herschel woke next, he was in a dim tent swaddled in soft furs like a fussy baby. A small fire burned in the centre of the cone shaped structure, smoke escaping through a hole at the top.

Where are we? Get up! We have to get away! Panic rose in his chest.

Wait, slow down, his calm added. Do you even remember where we came from?

Straining with the heavy pelts, he managed to sit up. He was part of a circle of sleeping figures, all with their feet facing the fire. Smaller bodies made him think most were women and children. Trying to stand on legs to weak to carry him. Herschel was about to faceplant into the fire, when a pair of hands rescued him.

"Sch," a soothing voice in the dark hushed. "Don't wake the children, lie back down. I'll get you some water, you've been asleep for two days."

The dark figure moved soundlessly to the exit. Herschel tried to ask him to stay, but all that came out was a dry cough as the slender stranger disappeared out the flap. He needed answers, but his body needed rest. Mind can only persevere over matter for so long. The night air from the opening made him shiver, and he laid back down. Before he had a chance to start struggling with the furs, small hands from either side were tucking him back into the softness. As he was about to drift off, the opening of a leather sack was put to his mouth. Hershel drank the cold water too fast and started chocking.

"Careful," the man whispered.

"Hrmph, where," he croaked barely getting the word out.

"Don't speak, just relax, there'll be time to talk later."

The man put a sweet berry to his lips. It was delicious. It wasn't long before he was back asleep, lips covered in sweet juice. The next time he woke, he was hot and sticky. The leather-brown tent flap was roped open, and light was pouring in.

"You're awake." It wasn't a question.

"Y-yes," Herschel answered uncertainly.

"How are you feeling?" The voice was coming from outside the opening.

"Fine?" He was weak and confused, but when someone you've never officially met asks you how you feel, 'Fine' was the only acceptable answer.

"Really? Because we didn't think you would survive. My brother and I saw you crossing Ganja before you collapsed."

"Okay, then I'm tired and everything hurts."

The man laughed before he hunched under the flap and stepped inside. He was tall with deeply tanned skin, and straight jet-black hair.

He looks like us! Shock added itself to Herschel's other symptoms.

"What were you doing in the desert?"

"Where am I?" It seemed the sensible question, but his curiosity was screaming at him to ask why they looked the same.

"You're in the caretakers tent."

"No, I mean--" he was interrupted.

"Yeah, I know what you meant, we're in Frel. What Agalians consider to be the last untamed part of Agalaland, and what we consider to be not Agalaland, I'm Lingur. What's your name?"

Lingur came closer and squatted down. Except for a leather loincloth, he was almost naked. Herschel thought he looked human, until he saw his green eyes. He had horizontally slit pupils, like a horse.

"I'm Herschel. You're not human?"

"Surprised? We were too, except for your eyes, you look much like us. Where did you come from?"

"Us?" Even in his weakened state, Herschel stayed true to his habit of answering a question with a question.

"We're the Nontie, were Áettar. You must know of us? It's obvious you have some of our blood."

He surprised himself with remembering something about Nontie. They were supposed to be savages, he'd had no idea they were also Áettar.

Savages who have caretaker tents and like hand-feeding strangers, I like these savages, the primitive in him thought.

"I thought Áettar only lived in Dim?"

"Most are in Dim forest, true, but the Nontie moved onto the grasslands long ago." Lingur stopped and frowned, "we don't usually discuss our splintering with outsiders."

"Splintering?"

"Come on now, I answered your question, you could at least tell me where you came from?"

Herschel tried to remember, but the more he focused on where he'd been, the more the white desert came into view. "I came from, um... I was running. Or escaping? I-I can't remember!"

He felt light-headed, and not in a good way, then the world blurred as he lost consciousness.

Updated: 19.10.2023